


Like a Charm

by BellaKatrina



Category: Blindspot (TV)
Genre: angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 09:08:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20927693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaKatrina/pseuds/BellaKatrina
Summary: Even if Roman wasn't aware of the date, he'd know something big happening. Remi's been stomping about and slamming doors with extreme force for two weeks, and she and Shepherd have taken to acting out an escalating Cold War at each meal. He just hopes they all survive it; he's not sure his sister will be able to keep it together. She's coming just a little bit more unglued each day.





	Like a Charm

Even if Roman _wasn't_ aware of the date, he'd know something big happening. Remi's been stomping about and slamming doors with extreme force for two weeks, and she and Shepherd have taken to acting out an escalating Cold War at each meal. He's caught her out on the back porch at midnight twice, cigarette in one hand and tears in her eyes, the other hand resting over her abdomen. He's not stupid, despite what Shepherd and his sister think. He knows Avery's first birthday is at the end of the week, six days away. Five days, twenty-one hours, and three minutes if he lets himself be precise, which he doesn't, because that's too dangerous.

He just hopes they all survive it; he's not sure his sister will be able to keep it together. She's coming just a little bit more unglued each day.

If he's honest with himself, he's not sure he will, either. He's still _pissed_, far angrier than Shepherd realizes. Angry at her, angry at himself for not fighting harder, angry at Remi for putting them in this situation in the first place and angrier yet at her for running away. Oh, she hasn't left yet, but he knows it's coming. If he's right, and he knows he is, she's going to enlist the second she turns eighteen, and the fact that she'll be leaving him behind isn't enough to stop her. She wants to be away from Shepherd more than she wants to be with him, which he understands, but it still hurts.

He can't bring himself to talk about any of it with her, though. He can't stop himself from scoffing out loud at the idea of talking to Shepherd; he knows better. He still has one option though…

"Hey, Rossi, can you help me out?" He slouches against the wall, voice pitched low enough that Shepherd shouldn't be able to hear them.

"What you need, son?" The older man doesn't even look over at him.

This is the dangerous part, the part Roman's still not sure about. He's fairly sure Rossi's on his side, even if no one else is, but he's not positive. After all, the man had shipped the baby away without hesitating. "I, um… you know I don't get an allowance or chore money or anything, right? I have no money."

_That_ gets Rossi's attention. "For the love of all things holy, please don't tell me you got a girl knocked up, not after that mess with Remi last year. I'll pay for an abortion, but _Roman_…"

"_No_!" Roman flushes red all over. He hasn't even managed to talk to any girls at school this year, much less anything _more_. "I, uh… Do you have any work I can do for you? For cash?"

"What do you need money for?" Rossi asks, incredulous. "Shepherd pays for everything you need."

Roman stares at the ground. "I want to buy a gift for a girl," he mumbles. It's true, even though he's sure Rossi's going to assume he means something else than he really does.

Rossi just stares at him for a few minutes, then tilts his head to the side and narrows his eyes. "Go change your shirt and wash your face, I'm going to tell Shepherd that I need some help in town with something."

They don't talk on the way to the mall. The first thing Rossi says to him is in the parking lot. "We're _not_ going to one of those ridiculous lingerie stores. Not happening."

Roman blushes again, and shifts slightly in his seat. "Uh…" He bites his lip. "Can you help me at a jewelry store?"

Rossi's eyes widen. "No engagement rings! You're too young!"

Roman can't help but roll his eyes at that nonsense. "I want to get a bracelet and a charm to put on it." He's put a lot of thought into this, and a charm bracelet seems like the best option. He can send a charm to Avery each year, and charms are small enough he can easily hide them from Shepherd _and_ cheaply ship them to France. A charm bracelet is something that Avery can always wear, once she's old enough, a good way for her to be able to carry all his gifts on her.

Remi vaguely remembers that their mom had a charm bracelet, even though he can't remember the bracelet – or their mom – at all.

Rossi leads him to the chain jewelry store, clasping his hand on Roman's shoulder as he asks to see the charms they sell, his voice cracking in a way that has nothing to do with the way it cracked a few years ago. His breath catches when he sees the tiny teddy bear studded with little crystals.

"Oh, _Roman_." Rossi closes his eyes for a minute when he sees the charm, and takes a deep breath. "You know you can't let Shepherd find out about this."

Roman nods. "I know. She won't. I'm not telling Remi either."

Rossi lets the clerk know that they'll take the bear and a plain, sturdy silver bracelet with lots of links for future charms. As she wraps up their purchase, he turns to Roman again. "Do you have the address?"

He does, because he'd broken into Shepherd's filing cabinet last week, but it wouldn't hurt to get confirmation from Rossi, just in case Shepherd was setting a trap for him – or Remi. "Maybe we could swing by the post office before we go home and you can show me how to write out the address for next year? I'm not sure I remember how to spell everything correctly."

The address Rossi writes out isn't the one in Shepherd's files, well, not in the file labeled "Remi's Mistake". Not even the same country. He recognizes it from the financial paperwork he's seen, though.

Seventeen years later, he sends yet another charm to that same address. This time, a tiny silver gun, and the note he includes just simple reads "Berlin".


End file.
